10 Disappointing Movies That Ruined Summer 2013

More so than any year in recent memory, 2013 has been a rather underwhelming, even disappointing one for Hollywood blockbusters. Though each exciting premise has been firmly established through an enthusiastic marketing campaign, the vast majority of this year’s tentpoles haven’t quite delivered the goods they promised. That isn’t to say that all the films on this list are bad – only a few truly are – but that they didn’t meet our high expectations and as a result were something of a let-down.

Such is the problem with hype and the expectations it creates; we end up feeling entitled to a five-star film and are deflated when it turns out to be a perfectly adequate four-star or three-star film. Still, 2013 has been particularly notable for this, and aside from Man of Steel, Fast & Furious 6 and This Is the End (if the latter can really be called a blockbuster), it’s hard to think of any that flat-out gave us what we were hoping for. Here are 10 disappointing movies that ruined summer 2013…

10. The Wolverine

Did It Succeed?: $307.7m at the box office to date, and 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, so yes (despite currently grossing less than X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Why It’s Disappointing: We were all stung by Origins’ horrific take on the popular character, and naturally thought, “Well, The Wolverine couldn’t be any worse, so it’ll be fine”. While that maxim held true in the final product, The Wolverine still ultimately succumbs to effects-heavy senselessness in its third act, where an unsavoury twist and a rushed showdown finale prove underwhelming after the impressive world-building of the prior hour-and-a-half.

It’s a perfectly watchable and entertaining 3-star movie, but with talent like this both behind and in front of the camera, it really should have hit harder. Still, the mid-credit tease for X-Men: Days of Future Past was certainly tantalising…

Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.